The hat of a cowgirl
by Rarity Belle
Summary: How did Applejack received her hat? Apple Bloom can't hold herself one day and just asks.


Apple Bloom was just trotting around the Acres on a warm and sunny afternoon. The little filly looked up to the warm skies only to be met by a blue, cloudless sky and the lovely rays of the suns. She trotted a little around and saw her sister who was leaning against a tree. She had taken the wise decision of taking a nap from her hard work and her hat covered her eyes. Apple Bloom let go a small giggle but as she looked to the hat, a question popped up in her innocent mind and she mumbled in herself. "How did she got that?"

The young filly walked up to the tree where her sister was lovely asleep and as she approached she heard the light snoring coming of the mare. Apple Bloom couldn't resist it as she started to snuggle up against her sleeping sister. Yet much to her own surprised, Applejack started to return the snuggle and the filly looked into her sisters closed eyes. "Afternoon sis," the mare said as her eyes slowly opened revealing the green rims.

"Hey sis." Apple Bloom replied as she kept snuggling. Her big sister wrapped her front hooves around her and she started to hug while snuggling.

"Is there som'thing Ah can help you with?" Applejack asked her ever so sweet sounding voice after she had lift up her hat just a little bit to see what was going on.

"Well, there is something," Apple Bloom said and then pointed to the hat. "That."

"Hm?"

"Your _hat_."

Applejack looked a little confused as she began to question her little sister. "What's with it if Ah may ask?"

"Well, how did you got it? I, I always see you with it, but I don't know how you got it," the little filly asked with her big eyes. It was a look that reminded her when she said that she wanted her cutie mark right then.

Her sister let go a small chuckle. "Well, if ya really want to know, Ah tell you how Ah got it." The filly then snuggled a little deeper and perked her ears in order to listen to the story that was going to be told.

_"Well, as ya know, there was a time where Ah left the Sweet Apple Acres to look at the world, to see other things then the Acres. But as a farmer girl in the big city, everything was just so, different. I just couldn't get my turn with them, no offence towards the Oranges of course, not at all. But I just couldn't find my turn in it..."_

"Ya wanna to know why me and Rarity always have a little argument but can relate to one another?"

Apple Bloom gave a slight nod and the mare smiled warmly as she spoke further.

_ "Well, because of the high class of the Oranges, they made me also wear those frou-frou kind of dresses and went to those kind of parties. Ah have to admit, Ah didn't felt myself home at all at those kind of things. But once Ah met Rarity and she told me about how she lived, Ah could relate to that because Ah have been through the same. Ah shall be honest with ya, Ah have deep respect for that mare because she is able to hold herself like that."_

"But sis, this does explain nothing," the filly spoke up as she heard the story.

"Ah was just coming to that part Apple Bloom, just let your sister tell her story as she remembers it." Applejack replied as she nuzzled her sister's little nose.

_"After a while Ah couldn't stand all the standards anymore and I said them goodbye, Ah was going to return back to the Acres, back to Granny and Big Mac. The Oranges luckily understood the choice Ah made and Ah packed my things and began on the journey back to Ponyville, back to the Acres."_

There was a small tear which began to build up in the eyes of the cowgirl as she told her story.

_"When Ah came back here, Ah was greeted with open hooves and warm hearts, it truly was the happiest day of my life. The love of those two, is something Ah'll never forget how Big Mac tackle hugged me when he knew Ah was back here."_

Applejack wiped away a small tear as she looked at her sister and started to stroke her wonderful red mane.

_"Ah still didn't had my hat at the time when Ah came back as Big Mac was still wearing it. Day in day out he had it on his head. Oh now that Ah think back about that..."_

"Huh!? Your hat, was from Mac?" Apple Bloom said in utter confusion. The mare gave a simple nod to confirm the thoughts and speculation.

_"Yes, it was from Big Mac, or as we called him at the time, 'Little Mac'."_ Applejack let go a small chuckle as she recalled the name for her brother and leaned a little more against the tree as she took a trip down memory lane.

_"It had been a long day, Ah had been working my utmost best to do all the chores Granny gave me and Ah just fell down asleep in the field in a burning sun. It was when Ah woke up and walked back to the barn where Ah was waited up by Little Mac."_

_"Ah remember that moment after that, just so well. For Ah walked back to the barn, face redder than a cooked lobster, where Ah met Little Mac and what he did next, would change my life. He took off his hat and placed it on my head, saying the words, 'For you little sis, you need it more than I do'."_

She wiped away another tear before continuing to snuggle her sister while continuing with the story.

_"Ah just fell down on my behind, holding the hat tightly in my front hooves and looking at him with big eyes as he nodded and said 'Tis yours now.' My eyes only became bigger as he said the words."_

_"Ah, Ah didn't know what to do at the moment, whether to hug him, say thank you, kiss him, Ah just didn't know. But before Ah could do anything he walked away because Granny needed him for something."_

The mare took off her hat and looked at it and then to her sister who she kept hugging and snuggling.

_ "Ah do not know why he gave it to me, but Ah never questioned it to be honest. For it was one of the most amazing gifts Ah have ever gotten. Ah never thought that a simple piece like this..."_

The mare placed the hat on the little filly who looked in pure shock as she got it, "S-Sis?" Applejack gave her a reassuring nod and a warm smile appeared on her face, comforting the filly.

"A piece like this could mean so much to anypony, but it proved itself. It truly is. And that, is how Ah got the thing that now rests on your head."

Apple Bloom had listened in awe to the whole story and was happy she asked that question, for now she had an answer. "Tis an amazing story sis."

Applejack nodded in agreement. "It's a story Ah do not tell often but for family, Ah'm always willing to tell it." The mare wrapped her other hoof back around her sister, resulting a tight hug as the filly lowered her head against the chest of her sister and nuzzled it.

"But why did he gave it?" the filly asked ever so softly.

The mare shook her head lightly at the question that was asked. "To this day Ah'm having no idea for it, but Rarity told me this once, _stories are there to be told, but some are best left untold_. And Ah do agree with that."

Apple Bloom began nuzzling her sister's chest as the mare looked to the skies, the comfortable spot against the tree in the warm afternoon. All of it was just perfect. She looked back down to her sister and said, "How 'bout a small nap before dinner partner?" The filly nodded under the hat and they both fell asleep under the tree for the time being.

A little while later Big Macintosh passed them and looked at the sight, letting go a small smile. "And so passes it over, from generation to generation."


End file.
